


My tragic love story (which wasn´t that tragic after all)

by Liah



Category: Tokyo Ghoul, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Crossover, Kaneki Ken and Yuuri Katsuki are so similiar, M/M, Yaoi on Ice, society of ghouls
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2018-11-03 18:22:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10972815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liah/pseuds/Liah
Summary: My name is Victor Nikiforov. To be honest, the only thing which is really important for me is skating – only skating makes a sense. My life is not the best one, maybe little empty, but it could be much worse.And if you were writing a story about me… well, it would be a tragic love story.





	1. let´s write a story about me

_My word was much alike yours.  
We were living our lives which were actually quite… boring, day after day. But, well, sometimes small surprises came, moments when we knew that it is worth to fight for our happiness. We fell in love and eat and hate and cry and try to find the sense of our tiny existences. _

_More positive ones would say that we are full of potential and possibilities. In my opinion it is right to say that we are full of empty promises._

_There was only one exception between my reality and yours– humans were not hunters but prey of another kind… of ghouls.  
They looked like people do, actually, it was really hard to say who is ghoul and who is human. They were so good in hiding in human societies, and that was a reason why you could not believe a stranger, but it is necessary, even elementary skill for hunter, isn´t it. They have found the ways how to coexist with us, more or less… _

_In India they were worshipped for their powers like only true gods of modern world. In Russia they were mainly members of criminal groups, sort of like mafia or yakuza, just more dangerous like their human counterpart. In USA there was a contract with ghouls, first official partnership with these deadly predators respected by both parts – well, Americans were always like that, too progressive for their own good, if someone would ask me - death sentence was committed by ghouls on prisoners and for that ghouls were not hunting innocents._

_In Tokyo - my home since I was eight- we have nothing to do with ghouls. They are like ghosts in shadows hovering in dark streets in the middle of the night, waiting for their next meal. We know we are terrified of them and they were aware of said fact too. So here we try just to ignore them, try to pretend that we are safe. Unlucky ones who were caught by them rarely survived to remind us how wrong we are._

_My name is Victor Nikiforov. To be honest, the only thing which is important for me is skating – not the best life, little empty or at least it was told to me so once or twice, but I would done much worse.  
And if you were writing a story about me… well, it would be a tragic love story. _


	2. stillness of ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> first time I´ve ever met you

It looked like he had appeared from the thin air. 

Or maybe he was just too caught in his own world. _You always cared only about skating, Victor._ Caught in spins and jumps, in his effort to make his movements more fluent and elegant because he was born to do so. His vision was spinning and his muscles aching in so familiar way, Salchow, Axel, Triple Axel, the Toe loop, again and again and again…

Until some figure catch his eye.

The rink should be empty at this hour – it was half past one, for Christ sake. Victor made sure to lock door behind yourself, because, well, world was dangerous even for full grown man. Grandstand were not lit and everything was dark except of ice. Even the air was still, frozen in time, also asleep, and it seemed that it was absorbing all sounds Victor´s blades made. But still, the man, with brown hair was standing here, so awake and real, looking directly at him.   
Truly say, he looked quite ordinary except the way how he was standing- bending into himself somehow, like he wanted nothing more than just disappear. Maybe hoping that ice will swallow him.   
He had patch across one eye and spectacles. Although his sight was damaged (what happened to him? ), his stare was heavy, demanding. 

“Hey, are you okay there?” asked Victor impulsively because it was common question to ask stranger in the middle of the night, right? Well, as long as there is _some_ appropriate question for situations like these.   
“Of-of course!” said the man and he bowed down a little in apology, “I am sorry for interrupting you.”  
“Never mind,” said the Victor, “actually, you are doing the favor to my coach – he ordered me to rest.”  
The man didn´t know what to say evidently – he was looking at his shoes.

He looked so soft. Pure.  
So sad.   
Victor blinked. His ears were ringing because of silence which was suddenly somehow unwelcome. He was covered in sweet and stillness send shivers down to his spine.

“Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me? I am little cold here.”  
*** *** ***   
They sit down on the bench, both of them cup of coffee in their cold hands.

And they talked. A lot.

Firstly it was awkward- his visitor wasn´t really chatty type of person, answering Victor´s questions really shortly. Skater had to use all of his experiences from interviews to keep the chat pleasant and he would be offended by it if that stranger wasn´t looking at his own shoes all the time. Victor was not sure if it was more proper to call his visitor man or just boy, but he knew for certain that his visitor was incredibly shy. Victor was surprised that someone so shy still exists in this time in reality, not just in television – or maybe he just spend too much time in company of too self-confident skaters. 

But when he started talking about skating, his visitor opened up for him, offering his opinion freely with eyes full of passion. It was like to see the flower coming into bloom and Victor was amazed by that change. It also turned out that this stranger was fan of Victor and also a skater even though he never wanted to be a professional. Then they progressed to the music for routines- then they favourite genres of music and it continues more and more and more without end. 

Victor can´t remember last time when he talked so much and listened to so intently. 

“I needed a distraction and I used to skate in my spare time so I thought that maybe I will calm down a little with some exercise and jumps but you were practicing here and it was too captivating to go away,” the mysterious man said, “every human muscle I have ever seen looked much alike. Just flesh. But some of them are capable of elegancy beyond words when others are so clumsy. Isn´t it fascinating?”

Victor paused in surprise, “did you see many… muscles?” he asked little hesitantly. Of course that his first association with human muscles were… ghouls. It was natural.   
“Ah, sorry. I am former medical student,” he smiled little nervously.   
“Former?”  
“Yeah. Some… accident happened. Everything is different right now,” he answered sadly, looking into his cup.  
“I am really sorry,” replied Victor. And he meant it – he couldn´t imagine what he would done if someone taken away his passion from him. It was all he had, after all.

(Victor was aware that he was getting old. But to not skate just wasn´t an option for him.) 

“It´s okay. Now I work in one coffee bar as waiter. I like it.”  
“Ah, so it is the reason why you don´t drink this one – you are just too spoiled by good coffee!” joked Victor in attempt to lighten the mood. Much to his surprise, the man beside him looked stressed.   
“It´s not like that!” he said and drunk his cup ruefully at one shot. When he finished he blinked his eyes in surprise.   
“You see? It is not so bad!” Victor smiled the man smiled back, little surprised smile.   
“So, my little friend, I need to practice. I will see you around later,” he stood up, approaching ice again. It was like… call he needed to answer.   
“Victor?” he asked carefully. Victor looked at him.  
“Please… could you skate your routine for me? Just for me this time?” he murmured, looking everywhere but not at him.

And Victor wanted to laugh – the man was only another person here, only one watching, so what was the point of such request? But he… somehow… understood.   
_Can you skate only with thought of me in your head?_

“I need to know a name of person I skate for,” claimed Victor little hoarsely.   
The man – such precious creature- looked at him, straight in his eyes for the very first time. Victor shivered.

“I am Yuuri. Yuuri Katsuki.”


	3. Importance of coffee shops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee shops are magical places

It was proper to say that after recalled day Victor had not only one coach but two.

During days he trained with Yakov normally. He teased Yuri Pulitetsky, boy, who in some ways was like brother to him, gave interviews and drove everybody around himself insane.  
But he could afford that – he was champion of Gran Prix Final, genius of ice.   
But nobody knew about Yuuri Katsuki. That encounter was too fresh… too precious to talk about during everyday conversation. Under the sharp light of ordinary day and reality everything about Yuuri Katsuki seemed just like wild dream, like something which Victor wished for too strongly until he became crazy.

But when day ended…  
Victor came to the ring every night exactly at one a.m. – and Yuuri was always there, sitting, waiting for him with still as stone until he lifted his head and smiled softly at him, patch at his eye. Yuuri said he could not sleep thanks to nightmares so at least he can see Victor skating if he doesn´t mind?   
Victor wanted to ask about that nightmares but he was afraid that it would be too much too soon so he stayed silent.

After his normal day practise he went straight home to sleep so he would be ready and awake for his night session with Yuuri.   
And Yuuri watched him really carefully – it turned out that Yuuri was more like professional skater than amateur so he was able to point out mistakes in Victor´s programme but he was so unlike Yakov – sweet but still strict. 

After their practise they would sit down with coffee and talk about everything. Sometimes they would talk until the dawn came, Yuuri with his tender smile and soft voice.  
Sometimes he even skates with Victor, full of grace and incredible stamina and strength, and at that moments Victor was wondering what it would be like to skate against Yuuri in competition. But, oh, sweet Yuuri offering him his ideas about routines, his improvements in Victor´s program was more than enough.   
Usually he just watched with cup of coffee in his hand. Victor liked that feeling of Yuuri´s eyes at him, only at him. It motivated him a lot. It helped to live in the moment, to not worry about his inevitable future. It was like he was able to breath freely again.

It was hard to imagine days without Yuuri Katsuki again.   
*** *** ***   
It was one of that nights when they talked until the sun raised. They were sitting on the bench and Victor felt hot and cold at once, unable to explain this phenomenon to himself. He listened to Yuuri´s stories about his family in Hatetsu, and he refused to go home and sleep even when he was unable to keep his eyes open properly, but damn it, he was an adult and he can stay awake as long as he needed to, but to put his so heavy head at Yuuri´s arm was not cheating, just for few moments, right?  
Yuuri chuckled in hushed voice and said to him, “common, it´s time to go.”  
Victor blinked, unable to say when exactly he closed them, absently wondering how is it possible that Yuuri never seemed to be tired, nor a little bit. Is he drinking too much coffee? Or is he sleeping during days as Victor?  
Or he just didn´t want to sleep thanks to his nightmares? Victor wanted to ask but he knew that Yuuri would not tell him the truth – this man was really private one.   
When he stood up Yuuri supported him, arms around his waist until he found his balance at his itching feet again – ice skating was sport which required sacrifice and pain and one had to be elegant even when he was too hurt to stand straight after practises and Victor was really fine with that but… it felt so nice to have someone to offer him a help without ask for it. Of course Yuuri knew – he was familiar with pain connected with skating.

“We will walk together until coffee shop, okay? Then we will part, I need to go to work.”  
“You have shift today? Yuuri! You should say something, we would end earlier, ” grumbled Victor, sorry for his friend who has to go through his day without rest, “you should care about yourself more,” he said.  
“I don´t mind,” smiled Yuuri a little, “but we need to hurry up.”  
“Then I don´t need a sleep too,” said Victor, “I will go to the shop with you, you will brew me the strongest coffee ever and then I am going through my day with Yakov.”  
“Victor…”  
“Don´t try it. I can be as stubborn as you.” Victor was not really sure what he wanted to achieve with this – but he cannot stand the idea that Yuuri will suffer with lack of sleep because their sessions alone and also he… just… he was concerned about him? It was hard to say. Victor was not familiar with that feeling. 

To his benefit, Yuuri at least already knew that there was no point to argue with him when he was in this mood. So he just sighed and then said, “let´s go.”

It was nice April day – everything was quiet because it was ridiculously early to be wide awake during Saturday. 

Their arms were brushing occasionally when they walked in comfortable silence and every time when it happened, Yuuri smiled a little but said absolutely nothing and Victor felt full of nervous energy, like before important routine and tired at once and it was so so confusing but beautiful nevertheless. It was like something clicked in the right place but Victor did not know how to name that feeling. 

So it felt only natural to sit down at the nearest chair to the cash desk when their entered small and cosy shop. It was one of that shops you will remember for atmosphere of home, with ring above the door. He teased Yuuri that he really want to see him in his uniform until Yuuri practically run away from him, blushing.   
“Is it okay if I make you your coffee instead of Yuuri? There is little girl who needed his... assistance.”

Victor blinked, little surprised, but asked nothing. The man who spoke to him was well… old and tall with soft smile. It was evidently Yuuri´s boss and he did not want to make any problems to him, so he said, “of course. Thank you really much.”

“That´s nothing,” the man said, “ it is pleasure to meet some friend of Yuuri finally. My name is Yoshimura.”  
“It is my pleasure. My name is Victor,” he bowed a little in polite manner. Yoshimura put coffee at the table although Victor did not make an order yet.  
“Strong coffee, no sugar or milk. In this way you can enjoy the taste the most.”  
Victor said nothing – he agreed with him completely. But how could he know?  
“Would you mind to make some for Yuuri too? He will need it much more as I do.”  
His host smiled, “don´t worry about him too much. Yuuri can take much more as night without sleep when he needs to.”  
“I can´t help it,” answered Victor truthfully. 

“It is what we are supposed to do for our beloved ones, after all,” he nodded approvingly.   
“…yes,” he said little hesitantly. This conversation was little too serious for Victor´s taste, suddenly, just after few sentences. But it was evident that this man cared for Yuuri deeply so Victor was unable to tell him to mind his own business. It was just that type of person, carrying about people around him in his wisdom.   
“That´s good. He will need you. He got through terrible things,” said his companion quietly with sadness and seriousness, “ but I am afraid that the most dreadful tests are just waiting for our Yuuri.”

Victor did understand that only at some level – (what hurt Yuuri so much?-) but it was evident that this man knew something which he did not tell Victor and also that he was talking from his own life experiences , surviving these said dreadful tests, too. A wave of protectiveness went through Victor and his hands curled into fists.   
He was unaware of so many things but at least he knew one thing: even just after few days, Yuuri was part of Victor´s life which he was unwilling to give up. Yuuri was enigma, private and quiet but still so kind, supportive and intelligent and strong in his own discreet ways.

It was too soon. All of this. This conversation with this stranger… this importance of Yuuri for him.  
What the hell he is supposed to do?

“Don´t worry about that. I ´ve got Yuuri´s back no matter what.”  
Both of men were aware of unspoken _He is important to me._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was kind of funny - how restless mourning people are.  
> (or: ghouls´ attack)

That day Victor was awaken by alarm exactly at 6.30 am. He had a lot of time to prepare for his training. 

Victor throw that thing onto wall with full force.  
“Shut up,” he said staring at pieces of alarm. His vision was kind of blurry… and his cheeks wet. “ Just shut up.”

He lied down again- there was no place he was needed today.   
*** *** ***   
From some point of view, it was Victor´s fault, too.  
He loved to push things in general – his skate routines, his practices, his relationships.

His luck.  
Yakov would say that he was just fucking drama queen. And he would be probably right as always, and well, Victor was aware of this flaw but he could not help himself.

When he was happy, he was happy to the core his bones. He did not love many people but when he actually did, he would die for them. When he set his mind to master some new move on ice, he stubbornly tried no matter who scold him for his impatience.

When he was fucked and angry, he was angry at all world at once.   
He was at his way home, little drunk he had chosen to go through some narrow side streets, ones he knew well and which were just fine to go during day – it was nice shortcut to his apartment.   
He went through them without second thought. Why not? He needed to get some sleep to be sober for his meeting with Yuuri. 

He wasn´t only one who decided to go through these streets that night– in front of him were walking another people, three men. 

It happened in another way like in television. There was no scream, no warning, no dramatic music. Like with Yakov – nobody warned him, nor God nor another fucking power above them. Their bodies just fallen down like broken toys.  
Four another men were standing above them. They had masks.

Victor was going to die. He was absolutely sure about it. 

His heart was beating quickly, his legs light, ready to run although he knew it was useless.   
“There is another one,” said one of them, the tallest one and pointed at him lazily. Second one was kneeling above bodies and third one was standing without move.  
“No,” he whispered. Is he really supposed to end like some nameless victim?  
The third one- the shortest with black mask and only one visible eye was in front of him in second – he was so fast that Victor just fell on his butt.

Actually, there was only one think he could think about in that moment.

“Yuuri,” he murmured. Who will tell to Yuuri that he is… dead? That he would never missed their time together if he had a chance to decide?   
The ghoul bent down to him. Victor grasped for air.

“Do you want to die?” asked the ghoul with black mask, staring at him with his visible eye unblinkingly, _inhumanly_. Skater and ghoul were looking at each other without words for long seconds until Victor managed to shake his head, unable to speak, as voiceless as sheep.

“Then run,” ordered him monster, stood up and turned his back to him.   
_Is he playing some sick game with me? Did he want to haunt me?_  
He read about it in some articles – how ghouls gave false hope to their victims, seeking excitement, challenge of hunt. 

“Don´t you dare,” said the first ghoul, “fuck you and your sick rules! Only flesh willingly offered can be taken? How ridiculous. Look around you! So much flesh, meat of our enemies and you refused to eat. You are freak above freak!!”

Victor was sure that said man is going to kill first one. Is that ghoul completely insane? He really wanted to dye, provoking his own comrade?

“Say whatever you want,” the man with brown hair spoked calmly, “we killed that people because they were threat to us. But this one is innocent.”  
The second one just growled.   
“Only flesh freely offered can be taken,” returned the second one, then turned his head to Victor, “run, human!”  
And Victor needed nothing more – he run, run, _run_ , and never looked back. Last thing he heard was animalistic growling and some dull blows.

Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri… 

He didn´t dare to stop until he closed doors of his apartment behind himself. Then he fell to his knees, trembling terribly. He hugged himself, seeking some comfort, but... nobody was there to hold him. Nobody.

Vodka and near death experience was not good combination - he threw up on his carpet, unable to make it to the bathroom. He just curled down next to that mess, weak, unable to stand up, trembling, his face wet from tears and slavers mixing together.  
He desperately wanted to have Yuuri here. Yuuri was only person he was able to think about during that attack and shortly after it, only person that he… loved. 

Oh God.

Did he really need to nearly die to realize it?

Victor burst into open cry.


	5. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why this felt like saying their last goodbye?

That day he nearly did not make it to the rink for their meeting.

Victor fell asleep on the floor next to his vomit and managed to wake up just an hour before twilight – he quickly washed his teeth and took his skate and went to the rink although he had a lot of time before Yuuri would come – he was just too scared to make his was after nightfall. He arrived at rink in record time although he did not use any shortcut and fell asleep at the bench in the changing room. 

How pathetic of him. 

When Yuuri finally arrived he asked nothing – he went directly to Victor, somehow knowing exactly what Victor needed – he hugged him tightly. Yuuri was shorter than him so it was beyond Victor how he managed to have him in his lab comfortably, like small scared kitten, holding all of him without any struggle. Victor snuggled to him, hiding his face into crook of Yuuri´s neck, ashamed of how weak he felt, trembling in Yuuri´s hug again, unshed tears in his eyes.

“I´ve got you. It´s okay, Victor, I am here. I am _here_ ,” he was saying softly again and again, stroking his hair.  
And Victor Nikiforov has never been so grateful. 

“ There is no way you will skate tonight.”  
“You… are right,” agreed Victor quietly, voice rough – even not standing he could feel how wobbly his knees felt.  
“Tell me everything. I need to know,” asked him Yuuri quietly. And Victor did, feeling little better taking it out of his chest- it was so incredible to have someone to talk to. Does Yuuri know how much he needed this? Needed him?

“I was restless,” he admitted in the end, “ but it was just too much. Anniversary of death of my mother and yesterday my coach… Yakov passed away.”  
“Oh, Victor,” whispered Yuuri, and his face, which was only inches from Victor´s, was so pale.   
And Victor told him everything, because Yuuri was here and listening and that was luxury which he was not used to ,“It should not have been so shocking. I was around him since I was a teenager and I knew about his bad health. When Yurio called me to tell me that our coach died in his sleep I even managed to calm him down. It just is not right for Yurio to cry, he is our little tiger, you know,” chuckled Victor, still weeping. Yuuri hugged him even tighter. He was not even sure that he was able to understand his mumbling to Yuuri´s arm, “it got me a morning after when my alarm had woken me instead of Yakov ´s call. He called me every morning to make sure that I won´t overslept. He did so since I hit a puberty and he was done with my laziness and lack of discipline.”

“He should forbid you to drink alcohol too,” said Yuuri teasingly and Victor chuckled a little.  
“He tried,” he was serious again, “but I need to find a new coach for Yurio quickly. This is his first junior year he needs a good introduction but when I think about replacing Yakov I feel… sick.”  
“I will help you two to choose. But what about you, Victor?”  
Victor Nikiforov, consecutive skater and man born for the ice, took a deep breath.  
Decisions like this one deserved long time to think about. But after yesterday… everything was more evident. 

How easy are some decisions when you face your own death. 

“I will not compete this year. There is no way I would be able to skate my best just few month after his death.”  
Yuuri pulled away, looking at him seriously, “Victor, are you sure about it?”

Both of them knew that there are not many years left for Victor on ice. But after this loss… after he was attacked… after he found Yuuri…  
“Yes,” he nodded slowly, “I was focused on skating all my life without realisation that people I love are not granted. I thought that skating is only thing I need to work at and while that I forgot that one day they are here and another…” he couldn´t complete that sentence, “I am done with that. There are things which matter more than competitions,” he told Yuuri who smiled softly at him in understanding.   
“You are not alone in this, Victor. I promise.”

And he knew it won´t be always simple – he was skating star for so long that now he need practically redefined yourself. He will have to find what he want to do with his time and energy. Hell, he even didn´t know how to name his relationship with Yuuri – he did not know what younger man feel for him, he was just sure that Yuuri was important. 

More important than Yakov, who was there for him as father figure, but mostly focused only at Victor as skater.  
More important than small Yurio, who was in some ways his brother, but too young to think too much about other people.   
Yuuri, Yuuri who was always here for him, understanding him from very first moment they met. 

They went away, hand in hand, to Victor´s apartment, Yuuri pulling him through night with self – confidence he had never seen in him before. Victor logically knew that if some ghoul attacked them, both of them would be dead men, but Yuuri´s presence calmed him down. He felt… protected.   
“It would be irony if I died as victim of ghoul,” said Victor because Yuuri deserved to know this piece of his past – and Victor wanted to give him as much of him as possible.  
“Why?” asked Yuuri simply, still walking.  
“My mother,” whispered Victor – like by the whisper the cruel truth could become less painful, “after ghouls killed her no one and nothing was really important for me except skating. Yakov was the closest thing to family I have,” Yuuri´s grip at Victor´s hand tightened.   
“I am sorry, Vitya. I am so sorry.”  
*** *** ***  
Day after that, Yuuri disappeared.   
He did not explain himself – his moves fast and frantic, his face deadly serious.   
“Don´t open door. I will be right back.”  
“But Yuuri-“  
And Yuuri kissed him softly at forehead and Victor was not sure how, he was taller one, and why his eyes were full of tears again-  
Victor was speechless.  
“Wish me a luck,” he whispered and then turned away.  
“Good luck,” he managed when Yuuri was at the doorstep. 

Why this felt like saying their last goodbye?   
*** *** ***   
That night Victor did not sleep.  
He was drinking again, worried. He tried to call Yuuri but his phone was off.   
And when he was drinking his second glass of whiskey, he realized something.

_"He should forbid you to drink alcohol, too."_

Did Yuuri know that Victor was drunk when ghouls attacked him?  
And if...   
How?


	6. Our first kiss tasted like a blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As title has said

It was rare that Victor Nikiforov was left speechless.

But when someone knocked at his door the night after Yuuri disappeared and he opened – stupid man, didn´t Yuuri warn you to not do so? – he couldn´t find words.

It was just Yuuri, thanks God. Standing in front of him looking – barely able to stand at all- looking at his shoes like little ashamed boy. Even in a little light of moon Victor could see Yuuri´s beaten face – he flinched.  
“Yuuri!” whispered Victor, socked, full of worry and angry. He called Yuuri many times, which was ignored by younger man. He was thinking about said man all day long, waiting for him in his flat, horrified to the core of his bones something happened to him, unable to think straight, unable to function properly at least a little. 

He did not know what to think about the fact that the way how Yuuri disappeared hurt Victor so much. Yuuri Katsuki somehow became too important, because, hell, somehow Victor fallen for this man on his way.   
There were many bruises at Yuuri and even blood. _Too much_ blood.  
“May I come in?” asked man with brown hair instead. Victor take step beside.  
“What happened to you, Yuuri?” asked Victor finally finding his voice even just in whisper and turned light on to see full extent of damage – it was even worse, “who done this to you?” he demanded angrily.  
“It is nothing just-“  
“Yuuri! Please you have to tell-”  
“Do you want to help me? Then don´t ask!” yelled at him Yuuri suddenly, shaking hands twisted into fists. For second there was something nearly predatory in his features.

They were staring at each other angrily for few minutes in deadly silence, Yuuri swaying at his feet.   
“ _Please,_ Victor.”  
Victor sighed.   
“Come here,” he told him and spread out his arms. Yuuri obeyed without protest leaving his self – esteem behind – it seemed that this simple touch was only thing he needed.

There will be questions. Fucking _lots_ of them. Victor will find out what was going on but not now when his precious person is shaking in his arms, weak and beaten, clearly in need of care.  
“How much pain one can take before he breaks completely? How much?” rasped Yuuri, snuggling into Victor. Skater´s heart broke a little more for Yuuri.  
“I don´t know. But two can always take more than one, Yuuri,” breathed Victor in his ear and then put a tentative kiss into Yuuri´s hair, careful to not cause him more pain.  
Victor still did not know what two of them were to each other – but his love for Yuuri was stabile pillar, evident and so clear, pronounced after his fear for another man. 

Yuuri shifted a little and hugged him even more tightly.   
*** *** ***   
After the long moment, they parted. 

Yuuri was limping heavily, so Victor helped him to sit down at his couch.   
Victor let the man lay down while he took some of his old comfortable clothes from closet. Then he went to the bathroom and took wet sponge, bandages, scissors, antiseptics and bowl full of warm water. He knew that it was barely enough, especially when he considered that he had not seem how exactly is Yuuri beaten under the clothes and he didn´t know what he is going to do except some basic procedures he was familiar with thanks to the injuries he had from skating, but he had to do at least _something_ by himself since Yuuri refused to go to the hospital. 

He took everything back to the couch. Yuuri was already slumbering, so he cut away Yuuri´s T shirt without asking – it was the easiest way how to get to the injuries.   
Yuuri broke out, his fingers around Victor´s wrist surprisingly strong, suddenly awake. “Victor!” he said and he was… blushing?  
“Sorry, Yuuri, but your clothes are already ruined and you need medical treatment desperately.”  
“You don´t have to-“  
“Yuuri,” he commanded him sharply but still softly, “just be quiet and let me do my work. I have some spare clothes for you so don´t worry.”  
“You are safe with me. Please,” said Victor and wiped off blood in corner of Yuuri´s mouth with his thumb, cupping Yuuri´s cheek carefully.   
"Okay,"Yuuri sighed, leaning into his touch, “okay.”

He must be really exhausted – it was easy to say because Yuuri would argue with him much more otherwise. Somehow, this victory did not make Victor happy at all – he worked quickly and effectively, trying to minimize small hisses of pain while cleaning his wounds with antiseptic. While all process Yuuri fell asleep on him.  
So much blood and bruises. He was horrified. 

Victor was touching his body tenderly and with care, soothing wounds and sore muscles. He was somehow absently aware that this was the very first time when he saw Yuuri nearly naked, but it doesn´t matter right now, no when Yuuri was in pain. Victor helped him to put on his clothes – big white t-shirt and some sweatpants.   
“Let´s sleep,” he said then and helped Yuuri to stand up, not waiting to Yuuri´s ridiculous protests that couch is comfortable enough for him to sleep on. 

He let him lay down first and then followed him under the covers without asking – he would be unable to rest without Yuuri by his side in the state he was in. He hugged him from back, spooning him, hands carefully at his abdomen hoping that Yuuri would not mind. Yuuri sighed deeply, clearly awake again and turned around – how he was able to do so in his state so effortlessly was beyond Victor- and looked at him. 

He looked much better, he decided. Yes, tired and beaten, but better like hour before. So when he suddenly leaned into Victor for kiss, curling his fingers in Victor´s hair hesitantly, he didn´t protest. He needed to feel Yuuri, to confirm to yourself that both of them are safe and sound right now.

Strange way how to kiss with someone for the very first time.

Yuuri´s lips were chipped and little swollen and tasted after blood, but they felt on Victor´s like heaven anyway. Everything with Yuuri was the best of sorts. When he opened his mouth for him, deepening the kiss little clumsily and allowing Victor to explore his mouth clearly without clue what he is supposed to do… offering himself to him after the pain he has been through… Victor moaned but then he pulled away abruptly. Too much. Just too _much._  
“Why did you-?”  
“Sleep, my Yuuri, “he tangled their legs and hugged the beaten man again without further explanation.   
He touched his little too hot cheek – doesn´t he have a temperature too? He needs to check out, “just sleep.”   
*** *** ***  
Someone knocked at Victor´s door. 

It was Saturday, little after 10 a.m. – Victor was sitting in the kitchen, sipping cafe desperately – there was just little sleep for him previous night with checking on Yuuri, their new proximity in his bed and his mind haunting him with their first kiss and everything what was needed to be said between them.

Victor approached his door really carefully, learnt his lesson that light does not mean safety. 

Yuuri was still sleeping in his bed peacefully, recovering from his injuries. Thanks God, he broke from fewer quickly but he was checking him every hour just for sure. Victor was not sure if it was even possible but Yuuri was healing practically in front of his eyes – his wounds already smaller and shallower, his bruises less horrifying. One way or another, he just need to sleep as much as possible without disturbing. 

Maybe he should have disturbed him.  
“Is Yuuri Katsuki here?” asked the man with granger hair and sharp grin at his face. He has some dangerous aura around him.  
Victor´s heart started to beat faster – is this that man who has hurt Yuuri?  
“What do you want from him?” he asked in deep voice, treating.

Does that man smiled somehow…. kindly at Victor?  
“Then tell him that I am… in his debt. I will never forget what he has done for me and my girlfriend.”  
And that was all – man turned around and walked away, evidently satisfied.

Victor blinked in surprise. What the hell?

**Author's Note:**

> There will be differences between ghouls as creatures here, mainly in social rules. You will see. 
> 
> Please, if you like this story, let me know. Thank you :)


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